Mathematical modelling and comparative analysis of treatment technologies for upgrading wastewater treatment plants: A case study of biofilm reactors in El-Gouna, Egypt

Osama, Ashrakat; Kinnawy, Mohab A.; Moussa, Moustafa S.; Riechelmann, Carsten; Hosney, Hadeel

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.117008

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…In an EBR, hydrogen is produced through electrolysis of water, which is a type of clean electron donor for hydrogen autotrophic denitrification (Cheng et al, 2017). Most current studies on the use of EBRs to remove NO 3 − ‐N are focus on reactor configuration, cathode material, current intensity, and biofilm culture (Ibeid et al, 2023; Osama et al, 2023). EBRs generally use electrode materials with low hydrogen evolution potentials, such as carbon electrodes, stainless steel electrodes, and single metal electrodes to serve as reactor cathodes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance and microbial response to nitrate nitrogen removal from simulated groundwater by electrode biofilm reactor with Ti/CNT/Cu5‐Pd5 catalytic cathode

Gao,

Shen,

Yinzhang

et al. 2024

Water Environment Research

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To enhance the removal of nitrate nitrogen (NO3−‐N) in groundwater with a low C/N ratio, electrocatalytic reduction of NO3−‐N has received extensive attention since its electrons can be directly produced in situ while simultaneously providing a clean electronic donor of hydrogen for denitrifying bacteria. In this study, Ti/CNT/CuPd bimetallic catalytic electrodes with different copper‐palladium (CuPd) ratios were prepared by electrodeposition onto carbon nanotube (CNT) using titanium (Ti) plates. The results showed that the NO3−‐N conversion rate by Ti/CNT/Cu5‐Pd5 electrode was the highest (53.60%) compared with other CuPd electrode ratios because of the combined role of the copper's high NO3−‐N catalytic activity and the palladium's high N2 selectivity. A new type of electrode biofilm reactor (EBR) with Ti/CNT/Cu5‐Pd5 cathode, biochar substrate was constructed to explore the removal ability of NO3−‐N in simulated low C/N groundwater. When the influent NO3−‐N concentration was 30 mg/L, under the condition of a 30 mA electronic current and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h, the removal rate of NO3−‐N could reach as high as 78.1 ± 1.2%, and the N2 conversion rate was 99.7%. The horizontal distribution of microbial communities in EBR showed that the denitrification capacity was significantly improved through the electrochemical catalytic reduction of the Ti/CNT/Cu5‐Pd5 cathode and the supply of the hydrogen electron donor to autotrophic denitrogenerating microbes such as Anaerobacillus, Thauera, and Hydrophaga. This study provides a new bimetallic catalytic cathode to enhance the removal of NO3−‐N in groundwater with a low C/N ratio.Practitioner Points The Cu5Pd5/CNTs/Ti electrode is beneficial to the adsorption and reduction of NO3−‐N to N2. The production of hydrogen electron donors by cathode promoted nitrogen degradation. Activated electrodes together with denitrifying microorganisms contributed to the improved N removal rate.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%